Epigem, a high-tech British micro engineering company, is looking for a chemical/bio-chemical engineer to join a PhD project run by Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

The aim of the PhD is to investigate the performance of microfluidic techniques for rapid and label free red blood cell (RBC) purification with a particular focus on scalable systems. The ultimate goal is to build stacked microfluidic devices capable of processing litres of sample.

This project will require the student to design, fabricate and test microfluidic systems and candidates with a background in chemical or mechanical engineering, bioprocessing or biomedical areas.

As this is an interdisciplinary project, full training will be given to develop skills in new disciplines. These will be applied in projects connected to a number of diseases.

This PhD compliments Epigem’s work on red blood cells, extending its research on applications of microfluidics involving blood.

Tim Ryan, Managing Director of Epigem, said “We are really proud and excited to be involved in this project with Heriot-Watt University. This research has the potential to make a major contribution to understanding many diseases in more depth. Our 20 years of experience in micro engineering is the bedrock for this.”

“We are looking for chemical/bio-chemical engineers to take part because of the knowledge they can bring and that it will enable the project to be tackled from various perspectives.”

The position will be based at the Institute for Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering (IB3) at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, and complement and be complemented by their active research programs in microfluidics for sample processing and cellular therapy bioprocessing.